Air valve for radiators



19, 1940- R. w. sHoEMAKER ET AL 2,222,324

AIR VALVE FOR RADIATORS Filed July 15, 1936 INVENTORS RICHARD W.SHOEMAKER JOSEPH A. PARKS, JR.

BY THE IR ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 19, 1940 UNITED".

r-Arsnrii; @iieFiCE,

AIR VALVEFOR RADIATORS.

Richard W; Shoemaker, We'odbury. Conn, and Joseph A. Parks;Jr.',iRochester, N. Y... "assign-. ms to Anderson Products,xlnc;,'C'ambridge,- Mass; a corporation of Massachusetts 7 Application July 15,1936; Seriai'Nm 90,760

8 Claims." (Cl. 236-451) This invention relates to air valves forradiators of heating systems and it is anobject of this invention toprovide an improved device of the type described of simple constructionwhich will be reliable in operation and in which each Fig. 2 is asimilar view with certain parts be-' ing shown in elevation andpositioned as when subjected to steam temperature; and

Fig. 3 is a view similiar to Fig.--1'of a modified construction.

An air valve constructed in accordance-With this invention comprises acylindrical'or cupshaped base member I open atone end and having athreaded projecting outlet2 adapted to be screwed into a correspondinglythreaded opening in a radiator section to mount the air valve thereonand to establish connection between. the

interiors of the radiator and air valve. in the open end of the basemember I in any suitable manner is a tubular air valve shell 4 ofsuitable light metal, and closed at its upper end except for a port oropening 6 therein.

Located in the base member I is'a cell 8 hav-.

ing a rigid radially corrugated bottom 9, a rigid cylindrical side wallIn and a top wall or closure when the difference in the forcesorpressures acting upon opposite sidesof the diaphragm is sufficient toforce the diaphragm outwardlyand hold it in the position shown in Fig.2, while in the modified construction shown in Fig. 3 the diaphragm H isarranged to assume a position in which its outer face is convex, asshown in Fig. 3 except when the difference in the pressures or forcesacting upon opposite sides thereof is suficient to hold it with itsouter face concave. Extending from the cell bottom 9 is a tube I2 whichestablishes communication between the interior of the cell 8 and theatmosphere and which is threaded through an opening in the bottom of thebase member I so the cell 8 may be adjustably positioned in the casingformed of Secured the base a and theshell t. A look nut 14 on the tubel2 secures the cell in adjusted position.

Enclosed within the cell 8 is a double diaphr'agm thermostatic elementl6 formed of a ring-ll and diaphragms I8 and containing a suitablevolatile liquid, as a mixture of alcohol and water. The diaphragms l8 ofthe thermostatic'element are .arranged to present concave outer faces.as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 unless forced or held outwardly as in Fig. 2.

Supported on the diaphragm H or H of the cell 8 is a hollow-float member20 having a projecting pin or valve 22 at its upper end arranged to seatin the opening or port 6 to prevent the escape. of fluid therefrom. Theparts of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are so proportionedandadjusted that when diaphragm II is subjected to atmospheric pressureon opposite sides and thethermostatic-element 16 is not' expanded, thevalve 22- opens the 'port 6 to a greater or less extent depending uponthe adjustment of the tube 12 in the basemember I but the float 20 andvalve 22 are always so positioned that movement of the'diaphragm- IIwill be sufficient to seat valve 22in the port 6 and close the port;- Inthe structure shown in Fig. 3 when thediaphragm" ll is subjected toatmospheric pressure on opposite sides the float 20 and valve 22areheldinposition to close the port 6.

With the parts of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2-positione'd as inFig. 1 passage of steam to the rsystem-causes the air to be forced outthrough port '6,the valve 22 remaining withdrawn-from-the port "6 untilthe steam acting upon the thermostatic elementrzlt through thewallsofrthe cell 8 raises the temperature of the liquid in the elementIii sufficiently to volatilize 1 part of the liquid and force out. thediaphragms l8 to'z-the positions shown in Fig. 2; This movement ofthe:diaphragms l8 operates the dia-' phragrnil'l and the float member 21causing valve 22 to'close theixport 6.. Should there. be sufficientcondensationto'fillithetcasing before the element l6 islexpan'dedthefloat Ellis raised by the liquid in the casin-g,- cl0si-ng port 6 andpreventing escape of the liquid.

Upon the shutting off of steam from the system and the reduction of thetemperature therein the thermostatic element It resumes the conditionshown in Fig. 1 but the reduced pressure in the valve casing, less thanatmospheric pressure at this time, causes the diaphragm II to be held inthe position shown in Fig. 2 by the atmospheric pressure within the cell8 until the jected to equal pressures on opposite sides theresteam tothe heating system causes air pressure,

to be built up in the valve casing until the difference in the pressureson the opposite sides of the diaphragm H the inner face thereof beingsubjected to atmospheric pressure, is suflicient to force the diaphragmll inwardly, permitting the float 20 to fall and causing the valve 22t0open the port 6. At this time the parts have the same relative positionsas the parts of the structure shown in Fig. 1 and these positions aremaintained while the difference in the pressures on the opposite sidesof the diaphragm H is maintained as the steam raises the temperature ofthe volatile liquid in the thermostatic element l6 sufficiently tovolatilize some of the liquid thereiniand force the diaphragms l8outwardly, causing the diaphragm H to be returned to the position shownin Fig. 3 and the float 20 and valve 22 raised to close the port 6. Theparts of the device are then in the, positions shown in Fig. 2. Ifthereis suflicient condensation to fill thevalve casing before theelement 16 is expanded, the liquid will raise the float 20 and valve 22to'close the port 6.

Upon the shutting off of steam from the system and the reduction of thetemperature therein the thermostatic element l6 resumes the conditionshown in Fig. 3 while the diaphragm ll remains in'the outwardly flexedcondition shown in that figure and maintains valve 22' closed, at firstbecause of the reduced pressure, less than atmospheric, then existing inthe valve casing and, after the restoration of atmospheric pressure inthe heating system, because the diaphragm H is arranged to maintain thatposition when subof. In this arrangement, the diaphragm Il beingarranged to hold the valve 22 closed when l subjected to equal pressureson opposite sides Y thereof, closes the valve 22 upon the reductionof'pressure in the system at such times as the steam is shut off fromthe system before the steam heats the radiator throughout and raises thetemperature of the liquid in the thermostatic element 16 so that thevalve 22 prevents/the admission of air to the system irrespective ofwhether or not the thermostatic element I Bis heated.

What is claimed is:

1. In an air valve for radiators, a casing having a vent port and aninlet port, a cell in said casing having a movable wall, meansestablishing communication between the interior of said cell and theatmosphere, a thermostatic element in said cell and exposed to theatmosphere for operating the Wall upon application of heat to saidelement, a float supported by said wall and a valve on said float forclosing said vent port upon operation of said wall by said thermostaticelement.

2. In an air valve for radiators, a casing having a vent port and aninlet port, a cell in said casing having a movable wall, meansadjustably supporting said cell in said casing, said means establishingcommunication between the interior of said cell and the atmosphere, athermostatic element in said cell and exposed to the atmosphere foroperating the wall upon application of heat to said element, a floatsupported by said wall and a valve on said float for closing said ventport upon operation of said wall by said thermostatic element.

3. In an'air valve for radiators, a casing having a vent port and anvinlet port, a cell vented to the atmosphere in said casing having amovable wall, means adjustably supporting said cell in said casing, ahollow sealed thermostatic element in said cell for operating said wallupon application of heat to said element, a hollow sealed floatsupported on said wall and a valve on said float for closing said vent:port upon operation of said wall by said thermostatic element.

4. In anair valve for radiators, a casing having a vent portand an inletport, a valve adapted to close the-vent port, a flexible wall supportingsaid valve,-,a cup-shaped support for said wall forming therewith acell, a thermostatic element in said cell of substantially less volumethan the volume of said cell to provide an insulating space between saidcell'and thermostatic element, tubular supporting means for said cell,said supporting means establishing communication between the atmosphereand the interior of said cell, the bot-- tom ofsaid. cell acting as .asupport to cause movement of ,said walland valve uponoperation of saidthermostatic element. l

5. In an air valve for radiators, the combination set forth in claim 4and in which the valve is mounted on a float intermediate said vent portand said flexible wall.

6. In an ,airvalv e for radiators, a casing having a vent port and aninlet port, a valve adapted to close the vent port, a cell in thecasing, said cell having a flexible upper wall and associated withthevalve, a thermostatic element in said cell of substantially less volumethan the volume between and acting between the bottom of said cell andsaid flexible upper wall for closing said valve upon the application ofheat, and means supporting said cell and admitting the atmosphere totheinterior thereof.

7. In an'. air valve for radiators, the combination set forthin claim 6and in Which the valve is mounted on a float intermediate said vent portand'said flexible upper wall.

8. Inan air. valve for radiators, a casing having a vent port' and aninlet port, a valve. to close said vent port, a cell closed with respectto said casing-and'fixed therein, a thermostatic element positionedinside the fixed cell, and effectively spaced from;the sides of saidcell, thereby being insulated from the casing temperature, and meansfortransmitting the action of said thermostatic element to.the valve.

. RICHARD w. SHOE-MAKER.

JOSEPH A. PARKS, JR.

' of saidcell to provide an insulating space there-

